Hair Styles | Short, Prom & Celebrity Hairstyles | Hair Care- The Hairstyle Blog

Hair loss often can be minimized by a visit to a dermatologist

Too young to be losing hair? A dermatologist may be able to help.

Any age feels too young to lose hair, but if you are only 20 something, it’s even more traumatic!“Don’t panic, but don’t wait and see, either”

On a normal day, we shed about 100-150 hairs, or so the experts say, who’s counting? So it’s not alarming to have a buildup of hair in your hair brushes, or to see a reasonable amount on your bathroom floor or shower. But when you’re having serious concerns about how much hair you are shedding, consider a dermatologist for a possible solution.

A dermatologist can determine if the kind of hair loss you are experiencing and whether it will respond to treatment. Also, if the hair loss you are experiencing is treatable, it’s better to get started sooner than later. Timing may save more hair!

Hair has a growth cycle and at any given time all the hair on your body is going through one or another of these stages. The three stage cycle is that your hair grows, rests, and sheds. The timing of these three stages varies for everyone. For example, someone like Crystal Gaye, who has hair past her knees, would have a growth cycle of many years before it goes to the next cycle of resting. Some people can’t grow their hair past their shoulder, so the growth cycle of their hair is limited to a little over a year, before it stops growing and rests. After resting at its determined length, it sheds as another hair growing in the same follicle, replaces it.

The doctor can narrow the contributing factors of your hair loss by examining the hair, asking good questions and possibly doing some further tests.

Some causes of hair loss that almost always is restorable, may be due to . . .

• Medications
• Certain Diseases
• High Fever
• Pregnancy
• Thyroid Disorders
• Dieting
• Surgery
• Stress

Another reason for your hair loss may be due to hormones. Hormones change as we age and it’s the male hormone that has to do with this type of hair loss. In women this type of hair loss can result in an overall thinning of hair, or, in more severe cases, it will thin dramatically on the top of the head, leaving a donut type effect of hair outlining your hairline. Hormonal changes effect all women at menopause and I find almost every woman’s hair starts to thin at this time. This type of thinning, is not usually respondent to treatment.

While hair loss in men starts to show up quite young, as thinning at the crown, and getting curly around the ears, a sure sign balding will result.

This type of hair loss has less positive outlooks, but some can respond to these treatments . . .

• Minoxidil, which is an over-the-counter treatment
• Propecia is an oral tablet that’s designed for men’s use for male pattern baldness

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

Hair Loss Myths

Shampoos and Hair Loss

Female Hair Loss Treatments

Hairstyle Tips and Trends 8-17-07

Hair Loss Needs Monitoring

Hair Loss Prevention Tips

New Hair Loss Treatment